“It’s not quite how I’d put it, but, yes, there are plenty of examples of racism in New Zealand. It goes from the quite minor to sometimes, the quite major. Are we as racist as other countries? That’s another question.” Spoonely told RadioLIVE.

In a lengthy recent interview Waititi was quoted as saying locals refuse to pronounce Māori names properly, Polynesians are racially profiled and he is patronised for doing well "for one of his people".